Frontline nurses at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital overwhelmingly voted to approve a new contract.  The Oregon Nurses Association says the two-year agreement increases wages for nurses, with frontline nurses receiving 14 to 21 percent increases over the life of the deal.  The union says the most significant raises will go to the lowest paid nurses.  The ONA also says the contract incorporates Oregon’s nurse staffing law, ensures adequate training for nurses who move between multiple hospital departments, caps health insurance cost increases and creates accountability for rising health care prices, and incentivizes more health care workers to learn and maintain fluency in multiple languages.  The Oregon Nurses Association represents nearly 150 nurses working at Providence Hood River.  The new contract runs through March 31, 2024.

Police in The Dalles seized a large amount of fentanyl in a search on Thursday.  According to a statement from The Dalles Police Department, officers from TDPD and Wasco County Parole and Probation served the search warrant following a narcotics investigation.  The warrant resulted in one arrest and the seizure of 1,109 suspected fentanyl pills.  The statement says the case has been referred to the Wasco County District Attorney for prosecution.

Wasco County announced its county buildings would be illuminated green during the upcoming week as part of Operation Green Light, a new national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties to support military veterans, as well as raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available to assist them.  In addition to lighting county buildings, residents and businesses are encouraged to participate by simply changing one light bulb in their house to a green bulb.  This can be an exterior light that neighbors and passersby see, or an interior light that sparks a conversation with friends.  Initative organizers say by shining a green light, we let our veterans know that they are seen, appreciated, and supported.  While this event is focused around the week of Veterans Day, participants are encouraged to continue shining the light year-round.  Residents can share their participation on social media using the hashtag #OperationGreenLight.

The Hood River County Library District’s brand new Bookmobile will be unveiled on Saturday at the Hood River branch of the library.  The unveiling will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m.  There will be tours of the bookmobile, light refreshments and a craft in the children’s library.   Library officials say community members contributed the entire amount to purchase the bookmobile in less than two months, and the Library District received a $75,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant from the Oregon State Library to purchase materials, program supplies, free books to distribute in the community and more for Bookmobile services.  The Bookmobile will provide the same services as the physical library branches.   Patrons can put items on hold, have them delivered, and pick them up the next time the bookmobile comes to their area.  The bookmobile will stop every Saturday at 12:30 at the Odell Community Park starting this weekend.

The closure of Trevitt Street in The Dalles on Monday will include Garrison Street and the alley way between 10th and 11th Streets.  That’s as work continues on the replacement of the sewer and storm main lines on Trevitt between 9th and 12th. There will be no access to the alley between Trevitt and Garrison streets.  The through-way intersections of 10th, 11th, 12th, and Trevitt Streets will be open.   Motorists are asked to use instructed alternate detour routes for local access, and access to Sorosis Park or Colonel Wright Elementary School during this time.  The project is expected to be finished in November.

Oregon Class 5A Water Polo Tournament at Osborn Aquatic Center, Corvallis Girls Quarterfinal Hood River Valley 18, Bend 5:  The Eagles will play Ashland in the semi-finals next Friday at noon.   Boys Quarterfinal Hood River Valley 19, Mountain View 2:  HRV faces West Albany next Friday at 3:40 in the semi-finals.   Washington District 5 Class 2B Volleyball Tournament in Burbank Championship:  Goldendale def. Tri-Cities Prep 23-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-22, 15-7:  The Timberwolves will play in the state 2B tournament next weekend in Yakima.

Ballot return rates in Wasco and Hood River counties continue to trail the comparable midterm election of four years ago. In Wasco County, just over 32 percent of ballots had been returned as of the end of Thursday, with 5,982 ballots cast. In 2018 nearly 36-and-a-quarter percent of ballots had been returned at the same point of the voting, with 6,183 ballots having been returned. In Hood River County, turnout is over 33.8 percent as of the end of Thursday, or 5,497 ballots received. Four years ago the turnout was above 41 percent at this point of the election after 6,076 ballots had been received. Rules have changed in Oregon since 2018, when ballots had to be returned to county election offices or designated drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Night. Now ballots must only be postmarked by Election Day. Drop boxes will continue to close at 8 p.m.

Oregon Class 4A Soccer Playoffs

Round 1

LaGrande 7, The Dalles 1

  Washington District 4 Class 1A Volleyball Tournament

Round 1:  Hoquiam def. Stevenson 3-0

Round 2:  Stevenson def. Elma 3-0:  Stevenson will play Montesano on Saturday at 10 a.m. at King’s Way Christian.

  Washington District 5 Class 2B Volleyball Tournament

Round 2:  Goldendale def. Walla Walla Valley Academy 25-15, 25-2, 25-13: The Timberwolves clinch a state tournament berth, and will take on Tri-Cities Prep tonight at 7 p.m. in Burbank for the district championship.

 

The Mayor of Rufus has been taken into custody on attempted murder charges following a Monday night shooting near Parkdale.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says 47-year-old Dowen Jones was lodged at NORCOR after being taken into custody by Sherman County Sheriff’s deputies.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says a family of four was traveling south on Highway 281 at around 8:43 p.m. Monday, following a SUV  that was driving erratically.  Upon reaching the 6000 block of Highway 281, the SUV pulled over abruptly, and as the family slowed to get a description of the suspect vehicle for the purpose of reporting it to the Sheriff’s Office, a man stepped out of the SUV and fire multiple rounds from a handgun, damaging the family’s vehicle.  No one was injured as a result.  Jones was lodged at NORCOR on one count of attempted murder and four counts of attempted assault in the first degree.  He was to be arraigned on Wednesday morning in Hood River County Circuit Court.

The rate of ballot return for this year’s general election is running behind that of the 2018 mid-term vote.  Wasco County reports as of the end of Tuesday that 24.06 percent of ballots have been returned, 4,486 in total.  Four years ago the return rate was 28.56 percent with 4,874 having been submitted with one week remaining.  Hood River County reports it had received 25.73 percent of ballots as of end of Tuesday, with 4,179 having been received.  That compares with a 2018 turnout rate at the same time of 31.34 percent, with 4,598 ballots received.  One factor may be a change in Oregon’s mail-in election procedures this year.  In 2018 ballots had to be returned to county election offices or designated drop boxes by 8 p.m. Election Night, whereas now ballots only must be postmarked by Election Day.